Guyana’s relief arrives in St Vincent on Friday

The 300-tonne relief supply that disembarked Guyana en route to St Vincent and the Grenadines will arrive there on Friday, providing needed items to the affected people of the volcano-rocked nation.

The Meena vessel set sail with supplies as listed as immediate needs by the Government of St Vincent. Apart from critical food supplies, the shipment also includes 10,000 hygiene kits, 5000 disinfectants, over 100,000 bottles of water of varying sizes, 6000 water tanks, 10,000 folding cots, 30,000 blankets, 1000 sleeping mats, 1000 respirator masks among other items. While Guyana has been able to mobilise 350 tonnes of supplies, the ship can only carry 300 tonnes. As such, the remaining supplies will go as part of another shipment.
As the final items were packed aboard the vessel on Monday night, Director General of the Civil Defence Commission, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig said it was a remarkable public-private partnership to realise this massive effort.
“It’s the first time in a very long time I’ve seen the public-private partnership and the corporate social responsibilities by all the Private Sector agencies working so quickly, to amass a large supply of relief items to be distributed. We were able to provide supplies ranging from food items, safety items, water, sanitisation items. All the needed items that the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines need at this time…We don’t want to take items that cannot be used. These items are the correct items and would be very useful.”
Meanwhile, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Timothy Tucker said some businesses immediately came on board to donate.
Tucker identified, “The GCCI has reached out to all of its members and one of our members has stepped up to make a sizeable donation, approximately $1.1 million worth of food items and relief stuff for the St Vincent disaster…This goes to show that the business community in the time of need always steps up to the plate. This is not the first time the GCCI has partnered with the CDC. Even last year through the COVID pandemic, we would have donated at that point in time too.”
Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud added that it is an obligation to assist fellow Caricom states in times of need, especially when Guyanese are also affected on the island.
“We’re a sister Caricom state. They’re in a state of distress and I think it’s our obligation, our duty to help and support. We have close to 4000 Guyanese living in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Those who are in the red zone, based on the report we received from our Consul General, they have been relocated particularly with other Guyanese in the green zone,” the Foreign Secretary pointed out.
On Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali told media operatives that Government is gearing towards continuous support and these efforts are spearheaded by Prime Minister, Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips.
“This will be continuous support. What St Vincent is going through is not going to be a one-off event. All we can, we have worked on mobilising, with the Private Sector, various commodities. The Prime Minister himself is looking at this,” the Head of State was quoted as saying.
The La Soufrière volcano started erupting last Friday and heavy ashfall left most of St Vincent and the Grenadines coated in thick ash, prompting immediate evacuation for over 14,000.
The UWI Seismic Research Centre said on Tuesday that it was 42 years to the day that the volcano erupted, commemorating the anniversary with another explosive episode.
The most recent report emanating from the Centre’s team identified the alert level as red.
Seismic activity continued the pattern established on Monday, with short bands of continuous seismic tremor interspersed with long-period earthquakes. Following the latest band of tremor, at 01:30h, the long-period earthquakes have steadily become more frequent.
“Audible venting was heard associated with some periods of tremor and long-period earthquake activity. The volcano continues to erupt explosively and has now begun to generate pyroclastic density currents – hot (200°C-700°C) ground-hugging flows of ash and debris. Explosions and accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger magnitude, are likely to continue to occur over the next few days impacting St Vincent and neighbouring islands,” an update further detailed.